PRESS RELEASES - JUNE 2008

June 27, 2008

What’s the Condition of Public Roadways?
Technology Travels Arlington Streets for Answers

Who: City of Arlington

What: To survey and collect data of public roadways in city

When: Started June 24 and will continue through mid July 2008

Where: All public roadways in the central part of the city, north of Green Oaks Boulevard and south of Park Row Drive. The goal is to survey a third of the city’s roadways every year for the next three years.

Why: To help maximize the use of street maintenance funds

Background
The City of Arlington has contracted with Applied Research Association of Champaign, Illinois to conduct the survey. ARA is a leading pavement engineering and management firm. Using a specially equipped van, the company is capturing quality images of pavement surfaces in the city. The number and extent of all surface defects are also being measured and analyzed. Technology is recording the amount of roughness and rutting along street surfaces.

According to Public Works Assistant Director Keith Melton, images and data from the survey will be entered into a pavement management software database and used to optimize street maintenance funds.

The last pavement management survey was completed in 2005, according to Public Works Assistant Director Keith Melton. The result will be smoother, safer riding surfaces, he said.

Funding for the $479,000 project is made possible by the
Street Maintenance Sales Tax, which was approved by voters in 2002 and reauthorized in 2006.

For more information about this project, call the City of Arlington Public Works Department at 817-459-6553 or e-mail Keith.Melton@arlingtontx.gov or ARA Representative Jake Walter or Bill Vavrik at 217-356-4500.

Editor’s Note: Great photo/video opportunities until mid July.